TCUnity Fair hopes to trade pies for calling cards
By Jessica Sanders
Staff Reporter

Students can help provide soldiers with calling cards by throwing a pie at their favorite “victim” during the TCUnity Fair, said Matt Shonka, Residence Hall Association president.

Shonka, a junior political science major, said the event, that began last year, will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at Frog Fountain and will include free food, games, a raffle and a pie toss.

The TCUnity Fair was started to raise money for families of Sept. 11 victims, Shonka said.

“We wanted to keep it an annual event,” Shonka said. “The goal in mind was to benefit a different charity every year.”

The charity chosen this year is Operation Uplink, a program that raises money to buy phone cards for soldiers stationed abroad, Shonka said.

“Calling overseas costs a lot and this is our way of helping out,” Shonka said. “This is our way of doing our part in things to come.”

Artist Thornton, the hall director for Milton Daniel Hall, said the TCUnity Fair is a great way for the campus to come together and raise money for a worthy cause.

“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Thornton said. “I think it will provide a service for families, and give them better access to contact their families.”

Thornton, who is signed up for the 11:45 a.m. slot at the pie toss, said he expects many current and former Milton Daniel residents to come by.

“I’ve been there four years as a hall director and I figure there’d be a lot of guys who want to get their payback on their old hall director,” Thornton said. “It’s only 15 minutes so they’d better line up fast.”

Shonka said pies are $1 each, and will be made of a Jell-O and whipped cream mixture.
“We’re using Jell-O and whipped cream because it won’t hurt any of our ‘victims’ and it is still messy enough to have fun,” Shonka said.

Among the more than 20 volunteers is Brad Thompson, Student Government Association president.

Thompson, a junior radio-TV-film major, said he agreed to be a pie target because he wanted to support RHA and raise money for the soldiers.

“I think its more relevant with Operation Uplink now that we’re at war,” Thompson said.

John Giammalva, the adviser for RHA, said the program raised about $2,200 last year.

Much of the money was raised because students were able to buy food with their meal plans; however, food will not be sold at this year’s event, Giammalva said.

“They don’t allow anyone to do (the card swipe) anymore; it was a one-time special thing because of Sept. 11,” Giammalva said. “This year we’re just doing the raffle and the pie toss.”

The raffle tickets are 50 cents apiece and prizes include gift certificates to local restaurants, Shonka said.

TCUnity Fair will probably not raise as much money without food sales, Giammalva said, but the program is more than fund raising.

“I think the event serves two purposes,” Giammalva said. “Raise money for Operation Uplink, and the other is we just want people to have fun.”

Jessica Sanders